Table 3 Themes and concepts for barriers to fruit consumption by gender from the Active Living Census 2019 (n = 5,919)

Preference and appetite

Like

“Don’t feel like it.” (Participant 8396, 48 years)

Prefer

“Prefer other processed foods to snack on.” (Participant 2292, 47 years)

Forget

“Most days I would have 2 serves, but on the days I have 1 serve it’s because I forget.” (Participant 2164, 58 years)

Day

“I like one piece a day.” (Participant 6688, 56 years)

Feel

“Don’t always feel like it.” (Participant 10,182, 72 years)

Serves

“It varies. Sometimes I can eat over 2 serves and other days none at all. Just depends what I have as a snack.” (Participant 6503, 23 years)

Cost, quality, and time constraints

Cost

“Cost from local supermarket is excessive & quality is bad.” (Participant 7361, 42 years)

Work

“Not enough time at work.” (Participant 2488, 24 years)

Buy

“Expensive also they go off when I don’t feel like them so I don’t buy them often.” (Participant 6006, 21 years)

Lack

“Lack of time to prepare lunch in the morning.” (Participant 9955, 28 years)

“Lack of money.” (Participant 10,269, 46 years)

Busy

“Often feel too busy to properly prepare meals and snacks for the week.” (Participant 192, 29 years)

Sweetness and diet

Sugar

“Trying to limit sugar intake.” (Participant 1736, 42 years)

Diet

“I feel my diet is adequate.” (Participant 4019, 77 years)

“Following low carb diet.” (Participant 14,203, 65 years)

Diet

“I’m on a keto diet - cannot consume carbohydrates” (Participant 5442, 20 years)